Monday, January 8 2024 16:01

ArmInfo. The development of trade and transit cooperation cannot become a basis for geopolitical  changes in the region. This was stated by Spokesperson of the Iranian Foreign Ministry Nasser Kanani, commenting on the statement of the Turkish Minister of Transport regarding the establishment of a  corridor through the Syunik region of the Republic of Armenia.

A representative of the Iranian Foreign Ministry noted that he was  not familiar with the exact statement of the Turkish official.  However, according to him, Tehran has a clear position regarding the  situation in the region, especially in the Caucasus, regarding the  establishment of peace and stability, as well as corridors and  transit routes.

"We always emphasize the importance of expanding regional cooperation  to establish peace and stability, economic and commercial  cooperation, communications and transit. And we emphasized that the  development of transit cooperation in the South Caucasus cannot  become a basis for geopolitical changes and violation of territorial  integrity and sovereignty of countries and violates these  principles," Kanani added, Mehr reports.

Yesterday, Turkish Minister of Transport and Infrastructure  Abdulkadir Uraloglu said that Ankara expects implementation of the  so-called "Zangezur Corridor" project by 2029.

"The Azerbaijani part of the Zangezur Corridor (from Baku to Horadiz)  is nearing completion. The length of the Turkish section of the  corridor is 224 km. Overall, the entire process of creating this  corridor will take five years.  So, by 2028, we'll complete all the  work ," Uraloglu said in an interview with the Turkish channel tvnet.   The minister added that, "construction is ongoing on the section from  Horadiz to Ordubad (Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan), excluding the part that  passes through the territory of Armenia".

"The existing road connecting the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic with  Turkiye, approximately 100 km in length, will need reconstruction.  Its extension will be the Igdir-Kars railway, for which tender  procedures have already been carried out, and we will start laying it  this year," Uraloglu said.  Referring to Yerevan's position regarding  the Zangezur Corridor, the minister emphasized that when such an  initiative was first put forward, the Armenian side reacted  negatively, despite the fact that they also talked about the benefits  for Armenia from this project.  "However, recently there have been  positive responses from the Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan  regarding this corridor. The length of the Armenian section of the  Zangezur Corridor is about 43 km. In case of an agreement, the  Armenian side will need to plan and tender to consider the corridor  as fully completed," he said.

He also mentioned that Iran has proposed the construction of a road  on its side that will connect Azerbaijan with the Nakhchivan  Autonomous Republic and Trkiye through its territory (bypassing  Armenia), and negotiations are underway regarding this.  "We will  implement the Zangezur Corridor project, but we do not object to Iran  also becoming part of this link between Turkey and Azerbaijan through  its territory. Negotiations and meetings with the Iranian side  continue. We expect that this project will be implemented in due time  ",  he said.